I'd like to tell you about my picnic.
I was fed up of hanging around the house and so I decided I was going to be spontaneous and decisive and plan a picnic.
My husband was out and so I ran around preparing a nice salad,
Boiling eggs and digging out the picnic blanket.
I packed the car up and was ready so that when my hubby got back we could just leave.
I usually leave decisions on where we are going to others because I just can't be bothered deciding but I had made a decision where we were going and so was very impressed with myself.
It was a beautiful warm and sunny day and I had chosen a riverside walk ending at a small waterfall surrounded by the shade of trees where we could sit and eat and our dog could have a cool and pleasant swim.
I live on the outskirts of a city but we do have some beautiful spots around that are perfect for a day out.
The first thing I realised when we started walking along the river is that everyone else had had the same idea as me.
There were lots of people around.
It's ok I told myself,
We'll find a quiet spot.
The first problem was a group of youths who had clearly never actually done a barbecue before but decided they could.
They had arrived with their sausages and burgers,
Their disposable barbecue,
Numerous cans of beer,
Speakers for their music and fuel to light the said barbecue.
And when the boys lit the fuel it created an acrid blue smoke which drifted all down the river and the valley and absolutely stunk.
So now walking alongside the beautiful riverside in the lovely sunshine and beautiful trees with loads of other people,
Loud thumping music,
We were also surrounded by this thick blue stinking smoke which stung my eyes and burnt my throat.
We carried on walking hoping to find a quiet smoke free patch and eventually we found one.
It was a little spot down in the valley and far enough away from people,
Music and smoke and it was a picture perfect view.
Overhanging trees,
Dappled sunlight,
The delightful sound of the river,
A lovely flat surface to sit on with the perfect amount of sun and shade.
I felt smug.
I mused on how even though this picture looked perfect it wasn't.
There was death here,
Fish jumping out of the river to catch the pond skaters,
Birds swallowing flies,
Dead rotten trees,
Stinging nettles around and a small amount of litter but still I told myself there's no such thing as perfect.
This is still pretty near I can deal with this.
I laid back and admired my tanned legs and newly pedicured toes on my lovely colourful picnic blanket and began to unpack the food.
I laid out the boiled eggs,
The salad,
My favourite juice and took a celebratory breath.
I was very grateful for this moment.
And then my energetic husband who cannot sit still for longer than 6.
5 seconds decides he wants to throw sticks in the river for our equally energetic dog Fudge.
But every time Fudge swam for the stick he got out,
Walked my colourful picnic blanket and shook himself.
Fudge is long haired.
He holds a lot of water.
So now I'm soaked.
My colourful picnic blanket is soaked and is covered with dirt and leaves from the river and Fudge's dirty paw prints.
My newly pedicured feet and tanned legs are splattered with dirty river water and I have a soggy backside.
And my picture postcard view,
Well that's still there but I can no longer see it as my attention is on my feet,
Legs,
Blanket and soggy arse.
The view didn't go anywhere,
My attention did.
After blaming my husband and shouting at the dog,
Which by the way made no difference whatsoever as they both just stared at me blankly and then continued to throw the stick and swim for the stick,
I began to laugh.
I was reminded of a conversation I had with a friend about a mantra,
Allow,
And it pulled me short.
Could I allow all this?
The acrid blue smoke,
The loud music,
Loads of people on my riverside walk,
The hyper husband that won't sit still,
The dirty feet and picnic blanket and the wet arse.
Can all this be just my experience?
Neither good nor bad,
Just experience.
Can I allow it all?
It wasn't easy,
My expectations of this picnic were obviously not going to be met,
But I decided I could do this,
Just sit and be with it all,
Allow.
Did it get better?
No.
20 minutes later there was a loud rumble in the background which I didn't realise what it was until I remembered I'd seen the weather forecast the day before,
It was thunder.
I had forgotten that whilst I was busy planning my perfect picnic.
Anyhow,
Did I enjoy my perfect picnic?
Yes,
I did,
When I chose to allow what was there.
If I had allowed my thoughts to take me away from what was still there in that moment,
The day would have been spoiled,
I'd have sulked and fallen out with my husband,
Made my poor pooch feel bad and it could have literally made me unhappy for the rest of the day.
But because I allowed it to be just an experience,
I actually enjoyed it.
I could still see my picture-perfect river and just as an added bonus I took some home with me in my knickers.
Thank you.
